On 15 May 2016, a Cessna 180 H was involved in an aviation accident near St. George, UT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion, ground loop, right main landing gear collapse, and substantial damage to the right wing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A tailwheel airplane veered left during landing roll, departed the runway, and ground looped, resulting in collapsed right main landing gear and substantial right wing damage. No mechanical malfunctions were reported.
Event Overview
A pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that about four seconds into the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left despite the application of full right rudder deflection. The pilot stated that he added power in an attempt to correct the deviation, but the airplane continued its leftward movement, departed the runway, and entered a ground loop.
Damage
During the ground loop, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing sustained substantial damage.
Pilot Report
The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The sequence of events was described by the pilot in his report.
Contributing factors
Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot